Bible

The letter by Robert Greene on March 1 ("Gay marriage contradicts god's word") demonstrates several of the inherent weaknesses of the anti-same-sex marriage arguments. The most glaring is the notion that the Bible is supposed to be the basis of our state and nation's laws, despite the intended separation of church and state. It's not. But for argument's sake, say the Bible should be a source for our laws. One must then ask, why is the issue of same-sex relationships dragged into public debate when so many of the other things the Bible espouses are not?

In 1967, historian Lynn White Jr. ignited a firestorm that burns still today. In a widely discussed article titled "The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis," he laid a charge at the doorstep of the Judeo-Christian community: The Bible is responsible for the world's environmental degradation. The Bible and its story of creation, he argued, sowed the seeds of the destructive mandate that animates Western civilization. Humans were given the right, the calling, by God to "be fruitful and multiply, fill the Earth and master it. " Charged by this narrative, the Western world has taken "dominion" to be one of the highest callings of human existence.

I emphatically disagree with Melissa Otterbein's commentary regarding the AFC champions ("Sorry, but God isn't a Ravens fan," Jan. 23). On the contrary, I postulate that God favors the Ravens. As the Bible states in Psalms 147-9:10 (English Standard Version with my commentary in brackets), "He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse [Colts/Broncos],nor his pleasure in the legs of a man [Patriots historic logo is a patriot hiking a ball between his legs while 49ers historic logo is a leaping gold miner]

Joe Pekarek, 18, and Levi Pekarek, 15, of Forest Hill, from Grace Bible Quizzing represented Maryland during the Bible Quiz Fellowship's 12th annual national competition in Green Lake, Wisc., the week of April 15. Bible Quiz Fellowship (BQF) is an organization that sponsors local Bible quiz competitions around the country and the four-day national tournament every April. They use an eight-year rotation that spans the entire New Testament. This year, the teams quizzed on the Gospel of Matthew.

In response to R. Smith's recent letter ("The flawed arguments against same-sex marriage," Feb. 6), it is quite clear to me that the writer has never read the Bible. God made it quite clear that a marriage is not made of two people of the same gender. Specifically, I refer to Matthew 19:4-6, "that at the beginning, the creator made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. ... So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.

I am writing as a pastor to express my support for Question 6, which allows gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to be married in Maryland. Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan explains that the concept of justice in the Bible is not punitive but distributive. Justice is not about punishment but about making sure everyone on earth gets a fair share. No one should be left out. No one short changed. Everyone should have equal access to food, shelter and clothing for sure.

I appreciated Dan Rodricks ' insightful and compassionate column on the arguments against marriage equality being made by some church leaders, based on parts of the Bible that condemn homosexuality as "an abomination worthy of death" ("Same-sex unions: What would Jesus do?" Oct. 25). As a student of the Old Testament, I examined the Book of Leviticus, from which that phrase is drawn, as well as other parts of the Bible. Sure enough, a man lying with another man commits a mortal sin. But lo and behold: In the Book of Exodus, working on the Sabbath is also a mortal sin. Elsewhere in Leviticus, a man who eats shellfish or pork, or cuts his hair and beard, also commits acts worthy of death.

OK, put your books away. We're having a pop quiz. Below are four quotes. Each is from one of two sources: the Bible or the Quran — although, just to make things interesting, there's also a chance all four are from one book. Two were edited for length and one of those was also edited to remove a religion-specific reference. Your job: Identify the holy book of origin. Ready? Go: • "... Wherever you encounter [nonbelievers], kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait for them at every lookout post ... " • "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

You keep hearing this mantra repeated by those who would prevent same-sex couples from marrying, "God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman. " Where do they get this stuff? Have they never read their Bible? It is clear from Genesis on that God intended marriage to be between one man and many women. All of the patriarchs had numerous wives, and King Solomon, who apparently was wealthy enough to afford them, had one thousand. We may question his wisdom, but not his stamina.

The networks might be struggling on Sunday nights but not basic cable's the History Channel. The miniseries beat everything in sight Sunday night with record ratings for "The Bible. " I think this quote from executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett might be a little over the top: "Today, more people are discussing God's chosen people -- Moses and Abraham -- in one day than ever before," Downey and Burnett are quoted as saying in a History Channel statement.   Still, you have to be impressed by the numbers.

I am not among the many who are shocked that Ben Carson, the brilliant and widely admired neurosurgeon based at Johns Hopkins Hospital, would emerge as a hero of the political right and Sean Hannity's new best friend. That Carson would stoop to making (and later sort of apologizing for) homophobic remarks on Hannity's national television show - associating gays with pedophiles and people who have sex with animals - didn't surprise me, either. I know: Here's a man who separated conjoined twins, improved and saved the lives of countless children, established a scholars program that has benefited hundreds of young people, wrote inspirational books and gave countless motivational speeches.

A few years ago, the History Channel was best known to some as a punch line on HBO's “The Sopranos.” Remember mobster Tony Soprano sitting alone late at night in his New Jersey McMansion eating ice cream and watching World War II documentaries about Adolph Hitler and Winston Churchill? These days, no one is laughing at the History Channel - not with audiences like the 13.1 million viewers who tuned in last Sunday for the first two hours of “The Bible,” a 10-hour miniseries that runs through Easter Sunday.

The networks might be struggling on Sunday nights but not basic cable's the History Channel. The miniseries beat everything in sight Sunday night with record ratings for "The Bible. " I think this quote from executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett might be a little over the top: "Today, more people are discussing God's chosen people -- Moses and Abraham -- in one day than ever before," Downey and Burnett are quoted as saying in a History Channel statement.   Still, you have to be impressed by the numbers.

I emphatically disagree with Melissa Otterbein's commentary regarding the AFC champions ("Sorry, but God isn't a Ravens fan," Jan. 23). On the contrary, I postulate that God favors the Ravens. As the Bible states in Psalms 147-9:10 (English Standard Version with my commentary in brackets), "He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse [Colts/Broncos],nor his pleasure in the legs of a man [Patriots historic logo is a patriot hiking a ball between his legs while 49ers historic logo is a leaping gold miner]

A reader castigated one of The Sun 's writers today for starting a sentence with and . The writer appealed to me for a response, as if I possessed the juju to kill a zombie rule.  Bryan Garner solemnly dismisses the no-beginning-sentences-with-coordinating-conjunctions rule as a superstition. And in that he follows a path trod by H.W. Fowler nearly a century ago. Modern English Usage says flatly: " That it is a solecism to begin a sentence with and  is a faintly lingering SUPERSTITION.

Millions of people got a long-distance view of the "Lincoln Bible," one of those used by President Barack Obama for his second inauguration on Monday. Starting tomorrow, you can get a closer look at the velvet-covered Bible that was used for Abraham Lincoln's oath of office in 1861. The Library of Congress will put the Bible on display from Wednesday, Jan. 23 through Monday, Feb. 18, in the exhibition “The Civil War in America.” The 1,280-page Bible was provided to Lincoln by William Thomas Carroll, clerk of the Supreme Court, because the president's family Bible was packed with other belongings en route to Washington, the Library of Congress said in a statement.

I'm writing in regards to Maya Thakar quoting the Golden Rule ("Goal should be happiness, not banning gay marriage," letter, Aug. 30). Perhaps notably, the entire verse of Matthew 7:12 was not quoted. This passage from Scripture, as well as every verse therein, cannot be quoted out of context nor used to advance an agenda contrary to biblical teaching. One cannot use the words of Jesus to approve a situation which He never would, namely, gay "marriage. " People must stop using biblical passages to justify gay "marriage.

Regarding Todd Reitzel's recent letter (Sept. 27), one must realize that the interpretation of Holy Scripture is not based on politically correct consensus. Neither is it open to personal interpretation (cf. 2 Peter 1:20). The establishment of marriage is seen from the first couple, Adam and Eve, a man and a woman. Genesis 2:24 is clear and should be pondered. God did not create other sets of couples alongside Adam and Eve. We come from God and the reality is he loves everyone: both those with opposite sex attraction and same sex attraction.

Bible class A six-session class introducing the Bible to people who feel they know nothing about it begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, at Galilee Lutheran Church, 4652 Mountain Road in Pasadena. "Bible 101" will be taught by Tim Merritt, who is certified as a Lutheran teacher. The six class hours will provide an overview of Scripture as well as tools for helping to understand it, either for personal reading or as part of a group study. Free; all materials provided. Information and registration: 410-255-8236.

I really had to mull my response to letter writer Ilene O'Connell ("Ashamed of the country that re-elected Obama," Nov. 8). Initially, I was incredulous and dismissive. I realize that won't help here. First, she could have looked up that he was a U.S. Senator first and that he campaigned for 16 months before becoming the nominee. She's had four years to get to know President Barack Obama and see what he accomplished. Liberals have rolled their eyes at the idea that any president controls the price of gas at anyone's pump.